Angels Come Back to Beat Indians, 6-5

First place wasn’t all that was reclaimed by the Angels Friday night.

So, too, was Greg Minton’s misplaced confidence and form as the Angel reliever set his monthlong troubles aside for one evening and combined with Bryan Harvey to shut down the Cleveland Indians during the 3 1/3 innings of the Angels’ 6-5 victory before 52,286 at Anaheim Stadium.

Minton, struggling with a 11.73 earned-run average since July 27, had clearly spun out of his early-season groove, yielding 17 hits--including three home runs--in his previous 7 2/3 innings. But on Friday, with Angel starter Jim Abbott requiring a sixth-inning bailout, Minton moved to middle relief and promptly moved to better things.

Minton was called on to pitch to four batters. He retired them all, striking out three, including Brook Jacoby with runners on first and second in the top of the sixth.

After finishing a perfect seventh inning, Minton turned the ball over to Harvey, who worked hitless eighth and ninth innings to complete the Angels’ return to the top of the American League West standings. Coupled with Oakland’s 4-3 loss to Minnesota, the victory over the Cleveland moved the Angels again into first place, .002 ahead of the Athletics.

And Minton (2-3) was credited with the victory. He was the pitcher of record when Claudell Washington tripled off Indian reliever Steve Olin (1-1) in the seventh and scored on a single by Johnny Ray, breaking a 5-5 tie.

It was the third hit of the night for Ray, who also homered against Cleveland starter Tom Candiotti in the third inning--one out after Devon White had done the same.

Ray’s game-winning hit set the groundwork for Harvey’s 19th save of the season. Harvey pitched to eight batters, strike out the first two--and the last two. After retiring the side in order in the eighth, he issued walks to Jerry Browne and Jacoby in the ninth before regrouping to strike out Joe Carter and Mike Young.

Abbott, who lasted only three-plus innings in his previous start, was ragged again at the outset Friday. He had two wild pitches in the first inning, gave up five hits in the first two innings and was down, 3-0, before he recorded his fourth out of the game.

Browne opened the game with a single and, two wild pitches later, was standing at third, watching Abbott walk the Indians’ No. 2 hitter, Felix Fermin.

This was cause for concern in the Angel dugout, bringing pitching coach Marcel Lachemann to the mound for his earliest visit of season, barely five minutes into the first inning.

Conference finished, Abbott came back to strike out Jacoby, but soon regressed.

Carter and Young followed with back-to-back singles, each scoring a run, to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead.

It quickly became 3-0 in the second inning. Brad Komminsk led off by tripling into the left-field corner--the ball short-hopping the fence and bounding past Angel left fielder Chili Davis--before scoring on a single by Andy Allanson.

At that point, Abbott began to settle down. He retired eight of the next nine batters he faced before serving up a two-out home run to Browne in the fourth inning. He almost yielded another to Joey Belle in the fifth inning, but this time, Davis got a good jump on the ball, leaping to glove it as it was about to clear the fence.

Abbott failed to make it out of the sixth inning, however. His two-out double to Allanson, followed by a walk to Browne and a run-scoring single by Fermin, brought Lachemann to the mound for a final time.

Minton replaced Abbott and closed out the inning by striking out Jacoby to preserve a 5-5 tie.

The Angels scored their first three runs on a pair of third-inning home runs by White and Ray. White’s was a two-run shot--coming after a walk to Kent Anderson--and Ray’s was delivered with the bases empty. It was the 12th homer of the season for White and the fifth for Ray.

Two innings later, the Angels converted a fielding error by Cleveland second baseman Browne into two more runs and a brief 5-4 advantage.

Again, White got things started, hitting a sharp grounder to Browne’s right, which he tried--and failed--to backhand. One out later, White stole second, his 34th steal of the season, and proceeded to third on an infield out by Ray.

Candiotti then walked Wally Joyner. Joyner then stole second, although the initial idea was only to draw a throw so that White could have a chance to break for home.

Cleveland catcher Allanson wouldn’t bite, however. He merely double-pumped and Joyner walked the rest of the way to the bag.

For the Angels, it proved to be a significant maneuver, because Davis followed with a single through the left side of the infield. With Joyner on second, he was able to score on the hit, turning it into a two-run single.

The lead didn’t last a half-inning. Abbott yielded Fermin’s run-scoring single in the sixth, and the score was still tied in the bottom of the seventh.

That’s when Ray responded with his third hit of the night. Washington’s one-out triple off Olin set the stage for Ray, who singled to right field to bring in Washington with the Angels’ sixth run.

The Indians’ response was to change pitchers. Jesse Orosco came on and finished the inning, striking out Joyner and retiring Davis on a fly ball to right.

Angel Notes

Dick Schofield update: The injured Angel shortstop is scheduled to have his left hand re-examined next Thursday by Dr. Norman Zemel, a hand and wrist specialist. Originally expected to be sidelined two to four weeks, Schofield said that prognosis has since been revised to three to six weeks. In the meantime, Schofield said: “The doctor said to do nothing until it heals. Right now, I’m sitting and watching a lot of baseball. But I really don’t like to watch.” . . . Still limited to designated-hitting duty when he’s able to play, Claudell Washington tested his left shoulder by throwing for 10 minutes before Friday’s game. “It feels good,” Washington reported. “It felt loose. I don’t know when I’ll be back in the (outfield), but I’ll be ready when they’re ready for me.”

They stoop to conquer (almost): The idea was to treat hot-foot master Bert Blyleven to a little of his own medicine, which, certainly, has been overdue. But two attempts were foiled Friday when an Angel batboy and Cleveland’s Joe Carter both failed to ambush Blyleven while he was conducting a television interview. The bat boy went first, but Blyleven spotted the sneak attack in progress and turned around to stare down the perpetrator. Carter came closer, crawling on all fours, from batting cage to Angel dugout, where Blyleven was standing. Carter then lit a match and touched it to a shoelace, but the flame didn’t take. As Carter lit another match, Blyleven, without looking, took his right foot and nonchalantly kicked dirt in Carter’s face. Carter walked away laughing and Blyleven lived to see another scorch-free day.